


Family Don't End In Blood

by Sumomothegoddess



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Bottom Castiel, Castiel in the Bunker, Daddy Cas, Domestic, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Domestic destiel, F/M, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Mark of Cain, Mommy Dean, OOC, Parenthood, Post Mpreg, Protective Castiel, Protective Siblings, Top Dean Winchester, Uncle Sam, season 10, sort of canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-05 21:10:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 16,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4195050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumomothegoddess/pseuds/Sumomothegoddess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel disappears for ten months and returns with two unexpected guests in tow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story on this site, so feedback is encouraged~!

Castiel had been gone for ten months.

Ten months, twenty-one days, and sixteen hours Dean had counted. He remembers, with a sad smile, the last time he spoke with his angel. They were laid out on Dean’s bed one night, fingers entwined and eyes gazing up at the ceiling. Cas promised to stay with Dean until he fell asleep. Until then, they used this time to talk about any and everything but the inevitable they’ll face the next day. Dean asked him about the past and, in return, his angel asked about the future. Some of the questions asked were easy to answer. Others, however, brought up painful memories and secret anxieties. One in particular stuck to Dean’s heart and had no intention of letting go. _“Dean, would you want to marry me some day?”_

His heart swelled in his chest. He remembered how stunned, yet completely ecstatic, angel’s declaration had made him.

 

They’d only been together for a year. This, in Dean’s mind, meant that it was a little too soon to get married. Hell, no one -not even Sam- knew about their relationship to begin with. It wasn’t their intention to keep it a secret. With their fierce battle against Cain reaching its climax, there wasn’t enough time to discuss it. Dean turned to face Castiel. His face, per usual, was stoic and serious.

 

Castiel took his silence as a negative reaction and said, _“Dean, I don’t want to die out there tomorrow.”_ Dean’s throat convulsed at the thought of seeing Castiel’s empty vessel resting above a silhouette of wings. His fingers tightened on their hold. There was no way he was living without him. _“So, I would like something to live for. When we survive, would you marry me?”_

At the time. Dean’s face flushed brightly and there was nothing he could say. A few tears left his eyes without permission. Had he known that this would be the last time he and Castiel would be together, Dean would’ve found something more meaningful to say.

 _“What are you saying, man?”_ he scoffed. _“Sam doesn’t know about us yet. What makes you think we’re ready to get married?”_ That word, he’ll admit, tasted funny on his tongue. Cas smiled at him. _“So, when we return, will we tell Sam?”_

Dean nodded and kissed his lips. _“You bet, babe.”_

At the pet name, Castiel flinched. Dean noticed this, but didn’t question it. Now that he thought back on it, however, he really should have.

_“We will win, Dean.”_

Again, the hunter kissed and agreed with him.

 

What they didn’t count on was Cain returning sooner than expected.

They didn’t know he’d drawn angel sigils along the walls. When they did realize, it was too late. The sigils ignited and in that instant, Castiel was gone. Dean panicked, but tried not to let it be known to his enemy and his brother. Cain saw it in his eyes, the flash of hurt had shone brighter than the angel’s vessel. He smiled. It would be easy to break his defenses down.

 

Or so he thought.

 

With Castiel gone, nothing but anger took over the elder hunter’s body. Dean told his little brother to stay back or get back in the Impala. This, yet again, was battle to fight. Sam nodded and despite his worries, left to the car.

 

With the first blade in hand, Dean stepped towards Cain. Again, the man smiled. _“You weren’t able to kill me before, Dean,”_ he’d said, attitude a little too confident for Dean’s liking. _“What makes you think you’ll be able to do it now?”_

 

His hand clenched over the blade.

 

_“Oh? Is it because I fed your angel friend to the wolves? Or did you forget that he was responsible for getting Metatron the tablet?”_

_“Don’t blame him for that!”_ Dean finally spoke. _“I didn’t kill before because… I…”_

Cain nodded knowingly. _“You saw the mirror, Dean. You saw yourself in my shoes.”_

Dean didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. The two of them held the same curse. Eventually, they’d end up at the end of the road. He didn’t want to see it. Hell, he didn’t want Sam or Cas to see it either. No, he has to face the reality: This curse will lead him here, squared up and alone against his killer.

Dean sighed to himself and found the strength to lunge forward.

The battle was on. Cain, with one hand, held his own against the Winchester’s attacks and gradually gained the upper hand. He tripped Dean, snatching his weapon from him before he hit the ground. With his ankles, Dean brought him down with him. They struggled for the blade, each dodging the others hits as they held on.

 

The seemingly endless scuffle ended when the weapon got stuck.

 

Cain looked down at Dean.

 

Dean looked up at Cain.

 

Their stares broke when tears fell from Dean’s eyes. _“I’m sorry, I mean it,”_ he’d said. Cain chuckles at him. _“You’ve already grieved once, Dean,”_ he rasped. _“I don’t deserve it a second time.”_ The man’s eyes rolled back as he fell forward, the first blade protruding from his chest, crashing into Dean’s chest. With tears still falling for the inevitably dead man and the fate finally set in motion, he embraced Cain’s body. He held on to him, his small sniffles turning into hysterical wails in only a few seconds.

 

Sam heard his cries and immediately went to his brother’s side. When he saw Dean holding Cain, he didn’t interrupt. This was a difficult moment for him, he understood that. He even found himself tearing up as the incoherent screams turned to pleas for Castiel, his mother, God, or anyone who was listening. Dean just needed someone somewhere to fix this. Sam knew he vowed to be the one to do just that, but he was slowly his grip on hope.

 

It had taken about fifteen minutes to pry Dean away from Cain’s corpse and back to the bunker.

 

The prayers for Cas started that night when Dean fell to his knees the minute he walked into bedroom. He closed his eyes and sent a loving prayer to his angel. _“I don’t know where you are, but be safe. Rest easy and try to make it back safe, ok? I love you.”_ Dean was speaking as though Castiel would be gone for only a couple of days.

 

When three weeks had come and gone, he started to panic.

 

The prayers were sent out more frequently. Sam caught him in the middle of one when they were riding in the Impala one night. Dean must’ve thought Sam was asleep because it seemed as though all of his defenses were down. He could see tears stuck to his cheek with the help of the moon’s glimmer. His words jumbled and slurred through his sobs, so Sam could barely understand what he was saying.

 

_“Can’t take it… need you… Please, Cas…”_

The younger knew his brother and the angel were, thanks to the aforementioned “profound bond”, but to this extent. As he continued to listen in, he began to question the true nature of this “profound bond” of theirs.

 

 Now, ten months later, Dean Winchester had become numb. He'd lay silently in his room, staring off into space. 

The prayers have stopped.

He refused to leave the room with the exceptions of emptying his bladder and barely eating. Sam couldn't convince him to go on hunts. 

 

Sam knew he missed Cas. Hell, he even missed having the awkward ball of angel mojo around. This, however, was unacceptable. It was as if Dean was slowly killing himself over the angel's disappearance, or possibly death, and there was no way he was going to sit and watch this any longer. 

 

"I'm going on a job, Dean," he told his catatonic brother that evening. "Call if you need anything. I'll only be a few towns over." 

With no response from Dean, Sam left the bunker. He would have never guessed that before his return, his big brother would be shocked back into reality.


	2. Chapter 2

Castiel shivered.

He’d been hiding out in the depths of a random forest in Germany for six out of the ten months he’d away from Dean. Once Cain had banished him, he found himself at the mercy of twelve angels. Despite his daze and handicap, he managed to evade them without killing them. In this forest, protected by endless stretching trees and his fading grace, he was safe.

 

Tiny fingers clung desperately to his tattered trench coat and shuddered harshly at every wind that passed them. Castiel whispered sweet words of encouragement in two pairs of ears. “So strong,” he said. “Please hold on, we’ll be alright.”

 

As the time ticked on, Castiel found a way out of the forest and into civilization without being caught by his enemies. Surprisingly, he’d wandered into a simple small town. There were plenty of humans were glad to give him and his little companions food, clean clothing, and a temporary place to call home. Castiel thanked them all, hoping to his father that his brothers wouldn’t find them here.

 

At night, while his companions slept, Dean’s hysteric prayers prevented him from resting with them. It broke his heart to listen them all. The man cried, pleaded, and apologized to him for hours.

 

“I need you back, Cas,” Dean said during his eighth month away. “I didn’t know he had those sigils up, you’ve gotta believe me.” It took all of the strength he had not to run back home to comfort his hunter, but for his safety and _theirs_ , kept his distance

Eventually the prayers stopped. Castiel had thought his lover had given up on him. He brushed the thought away immediately. “Winchesters don’t give up,” Dean had said to him once. “We’ll go down swingin’.”

Castiel cracked a smile at the memory. He’ll hold on and keep swingin’ until Dean’s back in his arms.

 

At the ten month, Castiel arrived at his little hut, hands filled with paper bags of groceries and companions at his side. He pushes his silver key into the lock and froze. Six graces of angels burned brightly behind the door. His breath caught in his throat. They’ll have to run again.

 

Castiel and his companions were gone by the time their enemies swung the door open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short, my apologies~


	3. Chapter 3

Sam was gone.

 

Dean hadn’t heard his brother’s concerned nagging for three days, so he assumed he’d gone on a hunt. He couldn’t find the energy to call and ask if he wanted any help. A hole had broken its way into his heart as his mind finally came to one terrifying conclusion:

Castiel was dead.

 

By now the angel should’ve popped in or called him at least once. He didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence was there. Accepting it wasn’t an option. It was his fault for bringing him to the fight with Cain in the first place. Had he known about those sigils, he would’ve begged Castiel to stay at the bunker. Knowing Cas, he would’ve gone anyway.

 

_“We’ll win tomorrow, Dean. Then we’ll be a family.”_

_  
_

The last thing Castiel had said, as his lover, echoed on in the back of Dean’s mind. A family, he recalled. All Cas had wanted was a real family. Dean cursed to himself. Why couldn’t he have granted that simple final wish? Hell, why did he even hesitate?

 

His dread was short lived.

 

Frantic knocks sounded and ricocheted throughout the bunker. He reached for the gun under his pillow, quickly sprinting from his bed to the front door.

 

The weapon was drawn, pointed at the door, and Dean felt that he was ready to face whatever may by on the other side. When the door swung open, however, his heart dropped to his stomach. Before he could react to what was before him, he was shoved harshly to the side.

 

“Are they safe?” a rugged voice asked, setting a bundled coat on the ground. “Please, tell me they’re safe.”

 

Words wouldn’t come out of Dean’s mouth. His breath had gone when the other barged his way inside. This was… Was this really…?

 

“Cas?” he croaked. His, no longer, missing lover didn’t acknowledge him. The bundled up trench coat he’d brought in was unwrapped, revealing yet another sight Dean never thought he’d see.

 

Two small children were cuddled up with each other. A boy, covered in dirt and, what seemed to be, blood and one girl completely coated in dirt were hurriedly examined by Castiel. The angel turned to Dean.

 

“Wet cloths, Dean,” he demanded. “I need some wet cloths.”

 

The questions would come later, he decided as he ran up to a bathroom. Two dark cloths were soaked in warm water and given to Castiel in seconds.

 

Dean watches his angel carefully washing over the children’s faces, murmuring comforting foreign words into their ears. Even as the warm, wet cloths passed over their faces, not once did either child stir. Castiel turned to look at Dean, eyes panicked and exhausted. “They’re not waking up,” he rasps. “I don’t see any wounds on them, so why aren’t they waking up?”

 

Dean steps to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Go rest up, Cas. I’ll watch the kids, alright?”

 

“But De-”

 

His worries are cut off when Dean’s lips pressed against his own. It’s no more than a single peck, but at the moment it had been enough for them both. “Rest, babe. They’ll be alright.” Castiel nods and stumbles off to Dean’s bedroom, leaving Dean to worry. While he was gone, the angel must have lost his grace. Quite a bit it, Dean noticed. Normally he was able to heal others without a second thought and fatigue was nothing more than a folklore. Now… he was in his room _resting_.

 

His next concern lied with the unconscious children lying before him. Who were they? Where did they come from? Why was Castiel so worried about them? These questions, and others along the same lines, buzzed around his head. He carefully looked them over. The boy, who looked to be about three or four years old, had blood and muck mixed in and caked about his dark brown hair. His sister, Dean assumed the other to be, had seemingly been shielded from the blood and only had some specks of dirt in her gold hair. She couldn’t have been more than two.

 

Cas was right, neither of them had any visible wounds on their tiny bodies. Maybe they were exhausted, as the angel himself had been looking earlier.

“Goddamn it,” the hunter groans, running his fingers through his hair. After all this time, all he wanted to do was kiss Castiel, hold him tightly and prove just how hard his absence had been on him.

He scoffs to himself, scooping the two children into his arms. “Nothing’s ever that easy, eh?”

After lying them safely onto a couch, he waits.

 

**_ -SPN- _ **

 

The little girl was the first to awaken.

Two hours after Castiel went to the bedroom, the girl rose from her spot on the couch. She rubs her tiny green eyes and surveys her surroundings. When catches sight of her brother, she shakes him. “Denny, up,” her tired voice rasps out. The boy doesn’t move, which made her frown. “Denny! Up!” she insists. Dean watches as she starts to panic. “Denny! Essie scawed! Denny!” his chest tightened when tears filled and spilled onto her face. Her shouts for “Denny” became incoherent sobs that second.

 

Dean, not knowing what else he could do, takes the girl in his arms and gently rocks her. Unfortunately, that didn’t help the situation. Her cries grew louder when she didn’t recognize who was holding her.

 

“Daddy! Wan’ Daddy!” she wails out.

 

That made the hunter arch his brow.

 

Daddy…? Did she mean…?

 

As if to answer his internal question, frantic footsteps came from behind. The girl was suddenly lifted from him arms and into Castiel’s. Dean watched with wide eyes as Cas held onto her, rocking and whispering to the girl just as he had done. What truly surprised him was when the toddler actually calmed herself. Just what in the hell…?

 

Cas noticed Dean’s stare and sighed. “Dean…” he starts.

 

“Who is she?” he asks a little too firmly.

 

The angel smiles down at her unconsciously. “This is Esther,” he says. “And she’s my child.”

 

With that one sentence, Dean’s mind goes blank.

 


	4. Chapter 4

“Your child?” Dean questions and points to the little boy. “And what about that one? Is he yours, too?” his hands flew up when his lover nodded.

 

“That is Aiden,” he explains.

 

“Daddy,” the girl, Esther, whimpers against Castiel’s chest. “Denny not up!”

 

Cas pats her blonde hair, soothingly shushing her. “He will be alright, my darling. Please, just let him rest for now."

 

Dean felt a bit disturbed at how well Castiel played out his voice as a parent. It was a loving scene, yet very strange at the same time. He was still confused as to how the children came to be in the first place. Did he adopt them? Were they homeless and Cas decided to take them in? If that were the case, then why did the boy look so much like Cas? Why did the girl have Dean’s eyes?

 

“Cas… who are they?” Dean asks slowly, as if he were talking to one of the children.

 

Silence came over the three as Dean watched reluctance appear and disappear in Castiel’s eyes. With an exhausted sigh, Castiel looks up at Dean.

 

“These children, Dean, are Nephilim-creatures born of man and angel. They’re about four months old,” he reveals, not once breaking contact.

“Neph...? What? Does that mean…?” Dean already knew the answer, the explanation had been very clear.

 

His suspicions were confirmed when Cas says, without hesitation, “Yes, they are your children as well.”

 

Dean’s fingers gripped anxiously at his hair.

 _He’s serious_ , he thought. _I’m a fucking **dad**! _

“What the hell, man,” he groaned out.

 

“I wanted to tell you, Dean,” Cas says, a regretful expression falling to his features. “Please believe me. That night, before we went for Cain, I was planning on telling you, but you were reluctant to the idea of marriage. Children, I believe, were something you’d definitely disagree with.”

 

The thought of having children never crossed his mind. Marrying Cas was even further than that, despite the promise he’d made. Part of him was grinning madly at the angel. Castiel was _back_. If that meant him bringing kids along with, he should be _fucking grateful_! Another part, while still happy to see his lover again, was completely horrified at the news suddenly brought on him. Cas wasn’t to blame, however, this was all on him. _I can’t… I won’t let myself…_

 

“I carried them for eight months, you know? Eight months and they chose their own vessels,” Cas continues. “Throughout it all, the hiding and fighting with diminishing grace, I was terrified. Nephilim are forbidden in heaven, so I was worried my brothers might sense them and kill them,” the thought made his angel tremble, Dean hadn’t missed that. “On top of that I was worried about you. Would you hate me? Would you hate them? I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you over something like this.”

 

Dean’s throat tightened with each word that was said. He had to watch silently as Castiel relived and retold his most frightening moments, and there was nothing he could do to stop him. _As if he’d let himself be stopped,_ he inwardly scoffs.

 

Castiel glances over at the unconscious boy and whimpering girl and smiles. “When they arrived, after I looked deep into their eyes, I realized that I didn’t care,” he beams stray tears falling down his cheeks. “It didn’t matter whether or not you loved them because, in that moment, _I_ loved them. That’s all that matters. If you can’t accept my children, then you can’t accept me, Dean.”

 

Cas was heaving by the end of his speech, watching his hunter carefully for his reaction to it. The man just looked stunned. No other words could describe it. He stayed silent. His typically bright eyes stared dimly at Esther and Aiden.

“Say something, please,” Cas pleads, setting his daughter beside her brother. His hands then gripped Dean’s stubble face and forced him to look up at him. “If you want us to leave, then-”

 

“No,” Dean finally rasps. “I just…”

 

Cas is suddenly enveloped into a nearly suffocating embrace. He nestles closer without a second thought, losing himself in the comfort of his lover’s warm arms.

“I missed you, damn it!” Dean growls into his ear. “I prayed to every night and you didn’t answer. Not once!”

 

“Dean, I-” he tried to explain, but was sharply cut off.

 

“Cas! Just let me say this,” his angel gulps, but allows him to continue.

 

“I thought you were dead, babe. I was just about give up and grieve, but then you show out of the blue. Fuck, you’re back,” Cas felt a few tears drop to his back.

He’d known his absence would cause him pain, but seeing its results in person made his stomach turn.

 

“As for the kids,” he chuckles. “The boy, Aiden you said, looks just like you. Esther, I don’t wanna know where you got that name, looks… Damn, I see my eyes on her.”

 

At the mention of her name, Esther cuddled closer to Aiden, hiding her face in his chest.

 

“Geez, Cas, I don’t know if I can be a dad. What I do know is that I’m not gonna let you leave me again,” he kisses the top of Castiel’s dark head. “I’m keeping that promise I made you.”

 

Cas scoots back, blue eyes wide and pointed at Dean. “You mean…?”

 

“Damn straight,” he says, no hesitation in his voice. “You’re gonna marry me, so you’ll be stuck with me,” he seals this promise with a swift kiss to the angel’s lips. Cas happily sighs, allowing his lover slip in and taste his warm cavern as though it’d be the last thing he ever did. He was happy, Dean was happy, and next all they had to do was explain their circumstances to the younger Winchester. It would all go accordingly, he thought excited tremors running down his spine. His spirits were higher than ever and nothing could bright them down. Well, almost nothing.

“What the hell are you doing to my father?” a small, but demanding voice broke apart their rekindling atmosphere. Petite blue irises glowered at the two of them. Dean’s jaw dropped.

 

Little Aiden had woken from his slumber and, apparently, did not like how Castiel was being held by this stranger.

 

Castiel matched his glower. “Watch your language, young man!” he growls at the boy. Aiden rises, shaking his dark unkempt hair, and trudged over to his father.

 

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty!” Dean jokes. “It’s about time you joined the living!”

 

“Shut it, asshat and get the hell away from Father!” he snarls, adding an intimidating glow to his eyes. It would have been more impressive had he not winced and whined seconds later. Castiel scooped Aiden into his arms, glaring straight into the offending eyes.

 

“Aiden,” he scolds. “What have I told you about using your grace?”

 

“But this guy was-”

 

“I don’t care! Don’t use your grace like that if it keeps hurting you!”

 

Aiden whimpers out a soft “Sorry,” and snuggles against his father.

 

Dean chuckles. “I guess he doesn’t like me so much, eh?” Castiel smirks.

 

“I can’t fathom why. He acts just like you.”

 

Dean squints at Aiden, who glares right back.

 

“I don’t see it,” they both say, making Castiel rolls his eyes.

 

“Since it’s late, I’ll go put them to bed,” the angel foes over to Esther, whose were desperately trying to stay open, and places her on his empty hip.

 

“Yeah, and I’m gonna call Sammy.”

 

Cas tilts his head. “Sam isn’t here?”

“No, he went on a hunt some days ago. You can put the kids in his room if you want.”

 

With a nod and a grateful smile, Castiel takes Esther and Aiden away.

Dean’s fingers dialed his brother’s number in no time at all.

The line only rung twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the mistakes, it's very late and I couldn't wait until morning to post this~


	5. Chapter 5

Sam met Lauren six months ago in a little town on South Dakota’s border.

 

It hadn’t been a delightful meeting, regretfully.

 

Apparently, Lauren’s late mother had been haunting the house she died in for four years. Overtime, the grieving girl hadn’t known, a seemingly friendly spirit can slowly lose their human emotion and succumb to its malicious instincts. Lauren's mother had reached beyond the point of no return by the time Sam and Dean were able to destroy her. The spirit killed Lauren's only living relatives, her elder brother and father, whilst screaming at the woman, "Why? Why did you make me do this?" Still, there was resistance on Lauren's part. Despite all that she had done, Lauren begged and cried for the brothers to leave her mother alone. "She's all I've got left!" she'd said, clutching desperately at Sam's jacket. In return, the youngest Winchester looked down into her tearing hazel eyes and said in his most sincere tone, "Your mother is gone. It's time to move on."

 

She could've hit him.

 

She could've kicked, screamed, and ranted at this stranger "Just what in the hell do you know?", but instead fell to her knees and that same stranger was there to catch her. Sam held her as she sobbed tears of relief. "It's over," he could hear through the hiccups and sniffs. "Goddamn, it's really over."

 

They said their good-byes, Dean and Lauren, but Sam hands her a small white paper with one of his cell phone numbers scribbled on it. He tells her "Call me if you ever need anything," and hugs her before sliding into the Impala.

 

Two nights later, Sam's phone rings.

 

He's a little surprised to hear the woman's voice, yet he was relieved to. His brother's prayers had been getting to him. Before he realized it, he'd spilled everything to her. It had been so easy and he couldn't stop himself even if he tried. She knew about his fears, the brother's missing friend, and his brother's anxious behavior. Lauren listened carefully as Sam told her how he wished he could help Dean and in return spilled secrets of her own.

 

Sam learned that her mother died of lung cancer.

 

Lauren learned that his died in a fire. He didn't give much detail about that.

 

After spending three hours on the phone, Sam asked her on a date. At first, she scoffed. "Don't you and your brother have more ghosts and monsters to kill or something?" she'd said, a smile clear in her voice.

Sam gasped, mocking offense. "Can't I get a break? Besides, like I said before, Dean's been in this 'no mojo funk' and he just might get himself ganked out there."

 

There was a moment of silence.

 

"...What?" she giggled. "What language are you speaking, Winchester?"

 

In the end, she'd accepted his invitation.

Soon the first date became the first kiss, and from there bloomed into a sweet romance.

Same did in fact feel guilty for using the "I'm going on a job," excuse to hide this lovely young woman from his brother. If he didn't, however, Sam was sure he'd make him feel worse. Dean might even accuse him of slacking off on the search for Cas. It had happened before. When Sam went on his first hunt without Dean, since their friend had disappeared, the elder called him and ranted furiously at hm.

"It's like I'm the only one trying to get him back!"

He hadn't heard such a harsh tone from Dean in a long time. At first, he wanted to blame it on the Mark. That was quickly de-bunked due to the fact that Dean hadn't cared about anything or anyone when under the mark's influence. This bitterness had been one hundred percent Dean.

 

Lauren had tried to convince him that Dean would actually be happy about their relationship. At the current moment, this was, yet again, the topic of discussion.

 

"Why not now, Sam?" she snapped at him with her arms wrapped around him. Her five foot, four inch frame was settled into his lap as they sat on Lauren's couch, ignoring the Spanish soap opera that they'd been watching before this conversation.

 

"He's been getting worse, Rummy," he tells her, using her nickname to coax her into dropping the subject.

 

"Us being around him will cheer him up!" she insisted. "Please, Sam! I don't want to be your secret anymore."

Sam shuffles so he can look into Lauren's bright hazel eyes. His fingers ran through her dark hair, trying to calm the sudden angry tone in her voice. "Why are you still pushing this? You know I don't want to hide this either but-"

"Dean's happiness comes before your own, right?" she interrupts bitterly. "You won't introduce him to your girlfriend until he gets his back!"

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "Dean and Cas aren't like that," he says through chuckles. “They’re just friends.”

 

Lauren scoffs and hops from his lap. “It doesn’t matter! You love your brother and you hate to see him hurt, I get that, but how do you think I feel?”

 

Sam winces as two tears fall swiftly down her face. “Rummy…”

 

“You’re hiding me, Sam,” she sniffles. “You’re hiding me from the most important person in your life and… it makes me question how much you lo-”

 

Before she could say the hurtful words, Sam silenced her with his own lips. He holds her tightly as he tries to kiss away every insecurity she had. When he pulls away, he holds her face in hands, forcing her to look up at him. “I _d_ o love you, Lauren,” he says with no hesitation in his firm voice. “Don’t question that, alright?” a breath of relief escaped when she nods at him. He presses a kiss to her forehead. “Now, if you’ve been feeling like this, why didn’t you say anything?”

 

“I’m sorry,” she whimpers, burying her face into his shirt.

 

“Don’t be, you’re right,” Sam bites his lip, hoping he doesn’t these next words. “You can come back to the bunker with me, if you want.”

 

Lauren’s tear stained face beamed up at him.

Before she could express her gratitude, she felt Sam’s cell phone buzz in his pocket. She almost laughed at how quickly he scrambles to grab it. Looking at the caller ID, Sam smiled just as brightly as she had. “It’s Dean!” he answers the call.

“Yeah, man?” he says and immediately Lauren hears a familiar gruff voice from the phone.

Sam’s eyebrows furrowed. “Whoa, whoa, what? Slow down!”

Lauren rolled her eyes as her boyfriend’s expression changed from shock, to more shock, to happy puppy. She could only wonder what the usually sulky brother was yapping happily about on the other end.

“Awesome! I’ve actually got something to tell you, too,” he winks at Lauren.

“Yeah… ok, I’m on my way… Your car is fine, jerk.”

 

When Sam hangs up, he kisses Lauren and runs for the Impala’s keys.

Lauren arches an eyebrow at him. “Sam, what-”

 

“So get this, Rummy,” a lively smile shines across his face. “Dean’s saying that Cas’ back!”

 

“Oh my god, Sam! That’s great!” she beams right back.

“Plus there’s a surprise waiting for us at the bunker!” the big moose was practically jumping out of his shoes, unable to keep in his excitement.

“We have no time to waste, babe!” he swats at her backside. “Let’s move it!”

She squeaks, but rushes to the impala and slides into the passengers’ seat.

 

Before she knew it, they were on the road. Twenty-seven more miles until she officially met her boyfriend’s brother and his, whether Sam believed it or not, boyfriend. She hoped deeply that this trip would be as amazing as Sam was anticipating it to be. It be great disappointment if her puppy was bouncing in his seat for nothing.

 

“So, my lady!” Sam drawls, fingers searching through Dean’s cassette tapes. “How about some tunes?”

The poor girl’s face immediately paled. “Uh, no thanks,” she quickly declined.

She loved Sam with everything she had, but she knew her death would be on the horizon if he started singing.

“Don’t look like that! Look, I found my IPod!”

 _He says that like it’s gonna make me feel better…_ Lauren sinks into her seat.

“What was your favorite song, Rummy? Wasn’t it the John Farnham one? I actually like that one,” Sam alternates from scrolling through his tracks and focusing on the road.

“Please, Sammy-” she tried to beg, but it was too late.

 _You’re The Voice_ was already playing.

It _was_ her favorite song, so she was half-tempted to sing along with her tone deaf boyfriend. Hint: _half_ -tempted.

“You’re the voice, try and understand it! Make a noise and make it clear! Oh-wo-wo-wo, oh-wo-wo-wo!” Lauren’s hands clutched at her ears as Sam screeched.

Twenty-six miles suddenly felt too far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hiatus.... Life and fictional life are starting to get really difficult!


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

“Father, who was that?”

 

Aiden didn’t like that strange man, which he protested harshly when his father decided to put him to bed. Esther fell asleep as soon as her head hit the dusty pillow. Despite how droopy his own eyes were getting, Aiden was determined to get to the bottom this.

“I’ll explain everything when you and Esther wake up again, ok?” his father told him

“Why did you let him… _kiss_ you like that?” the boy shuddered at the memory of the enemies lips on his innocent father. “How can I protect you if you-“

Castiel presses his lips to his son’s forehead, laughing at how his own eyes glared back at him. “You’re so grown up, Aiden,” he says snuggling him close.

“Damn right!”

_Smack!_

“Ow!”

“Hush, young man.”

The boy pouts up at his father as he tucks him in. “Essie can’t sleep without a story, you know,” he grumbles.

Cas looks at his sister and arched his eyebrow. “Esther has fallen asleep, Aiden,” he tells him, trying not to laugh at how red his son’s face had gotten.

In all honesty, Aiden couldn’t sleep without hearing Castiel’s soothing voice telling him wild stories.

It brought him the comfort that he surely needed at the moment. He wouldn’t admit that, though. Only babies whined about stuff like that. Aiden was a four-year old man!

“What if she wants a story about mother?”

As though a magic word has been spoken, the little girl stirred beside him. Esther rose up, rubbing at her tiny eyes. “Mommy?” she yawns, missing the glare Cas had given her brother. “Mommy story?”

Castiel rolled his eyes. “Alright, I’ll you both a story,” he gave in. “Afterwards, you will go back to sleep.”

The two nodded, Esther more eagerly than Aiden.

They both loved bedtime stories, Cas figured that out after spending two weeks with them. Though it tired him out, he enjoys the stories as much as they do.

“One evening, a funny feeling came over me. My tummy was rumbling.” He motions to his stomach obscenely, making Esther laugh and Aiden smile. “I was hungry, very hungry. You know what I got to eat?”

Little heads shook.

“Hamburgers. I picked up Mommy’s habit of stuffing myself with greasy food!”

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

After both kids were tucked in and asleep, Castiel went to join Dean. He wasn’t surprised to find him pacing in front of the door.

“Dean, what are you doing?” he asked, trying to hide his amusement.

“Pacing, Cas,” he says quickly. “When humans are nervous, we pace.”

He missed the frown Cas had given him that clearly said _I’ve been human before, you assbutt!_ “I know that, but why are you pacing?”

“What if Sammy doesn’t like it?” Dean groans when Cas tilted his head in confusion. He motions to the two of them. “What if he doesn’t like us? Them?”

“Then I will smite him with what is left of my grace.”

Dean frowns. “Was that supposed to be funny?”

“I was being serious.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, snarling to himself. “He told me he’s got a surprise of his own. God, why did I call him again?”

Castiel takes a hold of Dean’s hand, rubbing his thumb comfortingly across his knuckles. “You said we’re telling Sam about us so we can be a family, remember?”

Dean sighs. “Yeah, I know. I’m just a little freaked.”

Cas smiles, kissing Dean’s cheek. “You’ll be fine, I’m sure of it.”

He watches as his hunter visibly relaxes. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Of course I am!” Cas smirks. “What would you do without me?”

Dean gave him a smirk of his own. “Really wanna know?”

The angel rolls his eyes. “No, I don’t.”

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

Dean could feel his hearty jumping out of his chest when he and Castiel heard the impala’s roar from outside.

“Holy crap, he’s here,” he rasped, grasping onto his angel’s hand.

“Relax, it’s only your brother…” his voice trails off as he squints his eyes at the stranger walking beside Sam.

“Cas? Cas, what’s wrong?” he asks, trying to peer through the blinded window.

“There’s a woman with Sam,” Castiel angles his head into the direction of the stranger.

“Oooh!” Dean smirks. “She’s pretty hot, too!”

_Smack!_

“Sorry, babe.”

“Umhm.”

 

Sam walks in and immediately brings Cas in for a tight hug. “Damn, it’s good to see you again!”

Castiel grunts wand wriggles in the uncomfortable hold. “Likewise, Sam.”

Dean chuckles. “Don’t break him, Sammy! At least not in front of the lady.”

Said woman blushes at his attention. “It’s good to see you again, Dean,” she muttered. Dean arched his eyebrow. “Have we met before?”

“I’m Lauren Bennett. You took out my mother’s ghost some time ago.”

The eldest brother didn’t remember, but he played along anyway.

“Yeah, Lauren! How’ve you been, kid?”

Sam rolls his head, clearly seeing through Dean’s bullshit.

“So, what did you want to say?” Dean asked, arching his brow when his brother and the newcomer flinched. “Well ladies?”

“You go first,” Sam insisted.

“No, you,” Dean countered.

 

“No, you!”

“No, you!”

 

“Fine!” they groan in unison.

“I’m dating Lauren!” came at the same time as “I’m engaged to Cas!”

“What the hell, dude?!”

 

Cas and Lauren facepalmed at the brothers.

“You’re _engaged_ to Cas?” the younger gasps.

“You’ve been shacking up with the lady?” Dean says, making Sam glower at him.

 

“Dating, Dean! I’ve been in an actual relationship for six months!”

“Alright, don’t get you’re panties in a bunch, Bitch.”

“Jerk,” Sam snapped without missing a beat.

 

After a moment of tense silence, Castiel speaks up. “Dean and I have been romantically involved for a year and three months. The night before I was banished,” Sam and Dean hadn’t missed the flinch in the angel’s body. “I asked Dean if he would marry me.”

 

Dean added on. “I thought, at first, that it wouldn’t be a good idea since you didn’t even know about us.”

“So, we decided that we would tell after our battles were over. But-”

Sam wraps his arms around both the angel and his brother. “This is very creepy,” he tells them. “My brother shacking up-”

“Engaged! We are engaged, Sam!”

“Riiight, sorry,” Sam mocks, loving how red Dean’s face had gotten.

“So, you’re alright with this?” Castiel asked.

“As long as I don’t have to walk in on anything, I’m really happy for you guys,” Sam tightens the hug.

Lauren giggles at the couple’s pained faces.

“Also, there’s another thing-” Dean tries to explain, but is interrupted by a tiny timid voice.

“Daddy?”

All heads turned to look behind Lauren, where little Esther was peering up at them with tired eyes.

They watched as she toddled towards Cas and the brothers.

She stops and stares.

Esther’s silence lasts for a few seconds. The adults barely had time to cover their ears.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Esther pretended to fall asleep after Daddy finished telling his story about the hamburgers. Denny had no problem going back to sleep.

 

She didn’t like this new place. It was big and scary and it’s full of strange, giant people. There was a strange man who tried to take her away! Luckily, Daddy had been there to save her. The poor girl couldn’t understand why her Daddy kept talking to this man. His face looked angry, like Denny’s did when he bit his tongue that one time.

 

When she crawled out of bed, Esther hadn’t expected to see _more_ giants! It wasn’t just Daddy and the angry one anymore, there was a lady giant and a man giant with _really_ long hair. The long haired one had his colossal arms wrapped around her daddy and the angry man. Was he going to hurt them? Was he like those bad people that tried to get Daddy?

 

All of these thoughts swam around her mind, scaring her more with each passing second. The only reasonable thing she could do was wail out.

 

“Daddy!” she cries, too terrified to move towards him.

The angry man stared up at the long haired giant, whose face looked just like how Daddy’s did when she tried to explain a picture she’d drawn for him. Her Daddy untangles himself from the giant’s clutches and scoops her into his arms. Esther hides her face in his neck. Familiar fingers stroke soothingly through her hair as her cries soften.

“Everything is alright, Little One,” Daddy whispers. “I am not harmed.”

Esther could hear the lady giant cooing at her.

 

“She’s so cute! Look at how tiny she is!” she’d said.

 

The giant and the angry man were making frowny faces at each other.

“What is _that_ , Dean?” Long hair asks.

“That is Esther,” Angry answers.

 

“I don’t’ appreciate you both referring to my child in that manner,” Daddy snaps.

 

“Your _child_?!” the giant yells suddenly. Esther whimpered the sudden harshness in the voice.

 

“Sam!”

Long hair did a pout, similar to the one Esther makes when she accidently spills her food on her clothes, and turns back to Angry Man.

“Dean? How in the-”

Angry giggles. “Sammy, I thought he had that talk already.”

 

Mr. Long Hair frowns. “You know what I meant.”

 

“Esther isn’t the only one,” Daddy spoke up. “We have a son, Aiden, and he’s asleep in the other room. They are both our children, Sam.”

The long haired giant then made a funny face at her and Daddy…and then fell on to the floor.

The pretty lady went down beside him, looking completely stunned.

“Sammy!” she cried. “Sammy, wake up!”

 

When the giant wouldn’t move, Esther poked Daddy and asked “Him die?”

Angry Giant laughed at her.

 

“He is not dead,” Daddy answers. “Sam is jesting.”

“Jessing?” the girl attempted, giggling when her Daddy nodded back. She didn’t know what the word meant, but it sure was funny when he said it!

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

Dean laughed when his baby brother fainted. Sure, Cas scowled at him for being so mean, but it was totally worth it. Seeing the big oaf fall flat on his face was more than a ridiculous sight.

 

“I think he took that rather well,” Dean mocked, cheesing at Cas. “Don’t you think?”

 

Castiel continued to scowl. “I’m putting Esther back to bed, now.”

 

Said child had her head resting on his shoulders, eyes fighting to stay open. “We’ll discuss this further once Sam has awoken.” “Alright, babe,” Dean says through chuckles. He watched Sam’s little girlfriend, the pretty young thing that she was, shake and shake him with no changes.

 

“My god, Sam! It’s not that serious!” she groans.

“Yeah,” Dean strides over to her. “He’ll be out of it for a while.”

“I understand that he’s shocked, but this is ridiculous! They’re just kids and they’re so damn cute!” Lauren looks up at him. “Esther looks so much like you!”

 

“You should see the other kid!” he said, failing to hide a proud smile. “Boy looks like Cas spit him right out.”  


Lauren giggles at him. “I’ll have to see it to believe it.”

Sam grumbled and stirred on the floor. When he opened his eyes, his brother and girlfriend were looking down at him. “Dean, Rummy,” he sighed. “I just had the weirdest dream!”

“Really?” Dean raises an eyebrow. “Clowns or midgets?”

Lauren slapped his arm and smiles sweetly down at Sam. “It wasn’t a dream, Honey. You’re an uncle now!”

 

Sam stands up and shakes his head. “Damn, two kids? How old are they? Or how old are their vessels?”

“Esther is two and Aiden is four,” Dean explains. “And I’ll tell ya, for a kid, that boy is something else.”

 

 

**_-Spn-_ **

Castiel rocked a restless Esther for fifteen minutes, and she was still awake and whimpering. Through her incoherent sobs, he could make out “Scary” and “Meanies”. He guessed that she was referring to the brothers.

“Esther, please calm down,” he cooed, but it only riled the toddler up more.

 

Surprisingly, Aiden hadn’t so much as stirred since they’ve been in the room.

 

“Denny!” Esther cried to her sleeping brother. “Meanies! Beat up!”

 

Castiel frowned. Luckily, Aiden actually heard that. He would’ve tried to “beat up” Sam and Dean.

“Esther, calm down,” he says again. “It was only your mother and Uncle Sammy.”

She heard her father talked about her mommy in the bedtime stories he told. When they lived in Germany, Castiel hated seeing how dejected his daughter had gotten whenever she saw other children with their own mothers. She cried herself to sleep on Mother’s Day. Her brother tried to make her feel better by using the “We’ve got an awesome Father! Who needs a Mother?” excuse, but that only spilled more tears from the little girl.

 

Esther looked up at Aiden, Cas remembers with a broken heart, and whined out “Essie wan’ mommy, too!”

It was after that that Castiel began telling the adventurous tales of Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Sammy. That somewhat helped her. The sparkle in her eyes whenever he told her about her “Mommy” warmed his heart.

 

“Yes! Mommy couldn’t stop looking at you,” that was half-true. Dean did eye Esther for a good minute.

 

“Essie see Mommy now?”

Cas kisses her forehead. “How about you go to sleep first, and then you can see Mommy when you wake up? Can you do that for me, Esther?”

Esther nods excitedly. “Night, Daddy!”

“Sweet dreams.”

 

As he walks out of the room, he hears his daughter whisper to Aiden, “Denny, Essie gots a Mommy now.”

 

He couldn’t help but smile.

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

Sam was yelling at Dean when Castiel returns to the foyer. Sam’s girlfriend was on her phone, not listening brothers at all.

 

“Kids, Dean? Seriously?” Sam scolds. “With this situation we’re in right now?”

 

“Are you really madder about the kids than me and Cas?” Dean jokes.

 

“That doesn’t matter! I’m happy for you both, but having kids isn’t safe!”

 

Castiel crossed his arms and listened carefully.

He noticed Dean’s jaw tighten.

Lauren’s too.

 

“They’re mine, Sam!” the elder grits out. “I can’t just tell them to leave and come when-”

 

“I’m not saying that, Dean! God, can you just listen?”

 

Dean takes in a deep breath, but allows his brother to explain himself

 

“I’m just worried about that mark. I saw how bad you got and I don’t want the kids to see that.”

 

Castiel briefly remembers draining the demon out of Dean. He believed that there was nothing to worry about now that it was gone. Wishful thinking, but he still believed.

 

“I can’t promise that I can control this,” he admits and Cas is sure he heard everyone’s heart break. “But I just got Cas back, man. For him and those kids I’ll try. I’ll fucking try, Sammy.”

 

Without another word, Sam pulled Dean into a warm embrace. He whispers something to him that Cas can’t pick up, but Lauren did. A few tears slid down her face.

  ** _-Spn-_**

 

Castiel hadn’t asked Dean about it when they laid down together. Dean held his angel close to him for the first in what seemed like forever. His ear pressed against his chest, taking in each beat from the vessel’s heart.

It was real.

Cas was back.

 

“I love you,” Dean repeats like a mantra. He believed he never said it enough, so he was going to say every chance he got.

Cas didn’t mind at all, smiling widely whilst he ran his fingers through his lover’s hair.

 

“I love you, too,” he whispers back just as sweetly. “So much, Dean.”

 

It was good to be back.


	8. Chapter 8

 

“Wait a fucking minute, you told her  _what_?!”

 

Castiel chuckled when his fiancé screeched at him. “I told her that you were her mother-”

 

“No, no, no, I heard you the first time,” Dean stopped him with a finger to his lips. “What I want to know is why! I mean, aren’t you the one who birthed them?”

 

He frowns. “They separated from my grace, Dean. There was no birth.”

 

“Whatever! Why do I have to be her mom? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a man!”

 

Castiel rolls his eyes. He felt that was completely overreacting. “I’m not asking you to become a woman,” he sighs. “I’m asking you to let her refer to you as her mother.”

 

Dean huffed. He could hear all of Sam’s jokes now.  


“Dean, please! You didn’t hear how excited she was when I told her that her mother was here!” Cas frowned when he got yet another huff as a response.

“You also didn’t have to hear her crying on Mother’s Day,” he grumbles to the stubborn man. “What would you have told her if she’d gone up to you saying ‘Where’s _my_ Mommy’?”

Dean sighed. If he would’ve saw something like that, would’ve yanked harshly at his own heartstrings. “Point taken, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be happy about it.”

Cas wraps his arms around his waist and pulls him in close. “It will be worth it, Dean,” he whispers into his ear. “Wait until she sees how happy she is.”

 

 

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

 

 

“Essie, Mother is not here right now.”

 

Ever since Esther woke up, all she could talk about was meeting her “new mommy” and Aiden was getting sick of it. He doesn’t believe that there is a “Mommy”. If there _was_ one, why did they wait so long to show up?  


“Daddy say Essie see Mommy today!” she beams up at her big brother. “Essie miss Mommy!”

 

Aiden couldn’t find it in him to let her in on his skeptic thoughts. He just hoped that Esther wasn’t getting her hopes up to be disappointed.

 

“Mommy think Essie pwetty, Denny?” she asks.

“Yes,” he answers. “Or I’ll beat ‘em up!”

Esther giggles. “Denny no beat up! Essie see Mommy!”

 

Aiden wasn’t kidding. He’d kill “Mommy” is they didn’t make his baby sister happy. She didn’t need to know that, though.

 

“Mommy wike (like) Essie, Denny?”

“Yep.”

 

Before she could ask anything else, their father walk in with a soft smile on his face. Esther turns to face him with her arms out. “Essie see Mommy now, Daddy?” she asks, bouncing in his hold when he picks her up. Aiden crosses his arms and watches the door.

 

“Yes, are you both ready?”

 

The toddler squeals happily and reaches for one of the pockets on her father’s trench coat. Castiel doesn’t see what she pulls out because she quickly hides it. An excited smile grazed her features. “Ok!” she beams. “Essie ready!”

Aiden stands closer to his father and grabs onto his coat. “I’m ready, too.”

 

Castiel sets Esther down and motions to Dean, who was cowering behind the bedroom door. The eldest Winchester sighs to himself.

_It’s now or never, Dean._

 

He steps into the room, forcing a toothy smile, and stands in front of the two kids.

 

“Esther,” Dean greets. “Aiden.”

 

Esther looked stunned. This was the giant that scared her earlier! Could this really be her Mommy? His eyes did looked like hers and he had angel kisses on his face just like she did.

Aiden scowled. He couldn’t believe this stupid head guy had the nerve to show his face around him again. There was no way accept this asshat as his “mother”. No way in hell.

 

The kids were silent during their inner monologues and it frightened both Dean and Castiel. Dean gives Cas a “Dude, what the hell?” look and Cas only shrugs. Sure, he wasn’t the most parental looking dude, but the rugrats could’ve said hey or something.

“Aiden, Esther,” Cas says, kneeling down their heights. “This is Dean. He is your Moth-”

“Bullshit!” Aiden spat.

Castiel glowers at the boy, while Dean actually looks proud. “Have I not told you to watch your language?”

Whilst Aiden shot off grievances and proceeded to Dean every name in the book, Esther steps up to Dean with her big green eyes pointed at the ground. “Name Essie,” she says so softly Dean had to crouch lowly to hear her. “Essie colored.”

 

She pulls a red piece of paper from her behind back and shoves it forward. Dean stares widely at Esther and the paper. “Is that for me?” he asks.

Esther nods. “Daddy colored with Essie.”

 

He carefully takes the paper from the girl and unfolds it. On the paper were for four potato looking things, flowers, and a black smudge. Dean had no idea what the hell any of it was, but his little girl made it just for him so it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

“Essie color Daddy, Denny, and Mommy, Essie, and Mommy’s Impa,” she explains with a red face.

Now that he takes a closer look, he could tiny blue dots on two of the potatoes and green ones on the others. She even parked the impala smudge next to one of the green dotted potatoes. At that moment, a small lump formed in his throat. Tears welled up and spilled over before he could stop them.

Esther looks up at him and forms tears of her own. “Mommy no wike Essie color?” she whimpers. “I sowwy”

Dean shakes his head and pulls the girl into his arms. “No, Esther did a good job!” he sobs into her shoulder. “Mommy loves the pretty picture!”

Cas stopped scolding his son long enough to watch Dean fall in love with their daughter.

Aiden still wasn’t happy about it.

 

“Mommy wove (love) Essie?”

“Mommy loves you very much.”

 

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

 

Dean took Esther with him everywhere he went after that. He didn’t let his girl walk, either. She traveled via Winchester Airlines provided by Dean’s shoulders. At the moment, Dean and Esther were sitting on Dean’s bed watching Tom & Jerry whilst eating potato chips. Esther would laugh each time the cat’s body morphed into whatever he’d been hit with.

Sam and Lauren watched from afar, both cheesing wildly.

“He’s in love,” Sam says in complete awe.

“She’s a pretty girl,” his girlfriend responds. “I’m not surprised at all.”

 

Castiel held Aiden closely to his side. The poor boy still wanted to attack Dean with all of might and that feeling intensified when he watched the demon cuddle up with his sister.

“I don’t like him,” he huffs.

“I know, son,” Cas tells the bitter boy. “I know.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**__**

“This Mary.”

 

“Ok.”

 

“Mary wan’ pie.”

 

“One piece of pie coming up!”

 

Sam did not know what he was looking at right now. Quite clearly he sees his brother on the ground with his nephilim daughter, playing with stuffed bears. What his eyes couldn’t get passed was the bright blonde wig and plastic tiara on his head. This was not a scene he expected to walk in on. Lauren stood at Sam’s side, eyes sparkling at the cuteness of it all.

 

“Where the hell did he get a wig?” Sam whispers to his girlfriend.

“Castiel went out and bought some toys and stuff earlier,” she explains. “He took Esther with him.”

Well, that explained that.

 

“Mommy!” Esther whines. “We need maked ice cweam!”

Dean salutes. “Yes ma’am! Ice cream for Mary and Esther!”

“Essie no wan’ ice cweam!” she giggles. “Ice cweam for Denny and Mary!”

 

Dean shudders when she mentions her big brother. Despite the month that had gone by, Aiden still hadn’t warmed up to Dean’s presence. The boy wouldn’t say a single word to him. He would even go out of his way to avoid any kind of contact with him. Over a million times, he had explain this to his fiancé. Cas wasn’t too worried about it.

“He just needs time to adjust, Dean,” he’d told him. “He doesn’t hate you.”

“Then explain the kid keeps looking at me like he wants blood!”

That, Castiel didn’t have an answer for.

 

He’d tried talking to his son.

Keyword being _tried_.

“No!” he huffed when his father asked him to at least try to get to know Dean. “I don’t wanna!”

“Aiden,” Cas pleas. “Son-”

“He’s mean!” Aiden shouts. “He’s a mean asshole!”

“What did I say about that foul tongue of yours?”

 

After that, the conversation was over.

A certain someone spent ten minutes in time out.

 

Currently, little Aiden was reading a book from Sam’s shelf. He couldn’t read very well, but he enjoyed the challenge of trying to figure out the big words. It annoyed him, to say the least, when his concentration was broke by his baby sister toddling in with an empty toy bowl in her hands and Dean following right behind her.

 

Aiden smiles at Esther and frowns at “Mother”.

“Look Denny!” Esther squeals. “Essie has ice cweam for you!”

“I helped, attention hog!” Dean adds, playfully shoving Esther’s shoulder.

 

If it wasn’t for the ecstatic expression on his sister’s face, Aiden wouldn’t chucked the plate at “Mother’s” dumb face.

 

To calm himself, he pretends to eat the “food” Esther prepared for him.

 

“Yummy, Essie!” he forces a smile. “Can I have some pie next time?”

 

Dean smiled at him and it made his stomach turn.

 

“You like pie?” he asked Aiden was half expecting to see a furry tail wagging. “Thank god, we actually have something in common!”

Aiden didn’t respond.

 

“Do you like cherry, apple, cinnamon?” he started yabbing off his own favorite flavors. A surge of happiness shot through hum when the boy’s lips twitched when he said cherry. Yep, this was definitely his kid.

 

“Yeah, cherry’s friggin’ awesome!” he agrees and turns to his tiniest child. “You heard the man! Let’s go get that cherry pie!”

 

 

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

 

 

“No, Sam.”

 

Castiel was dressed comfortably in Dean’s dark blue robe whilst said hunter slept nude in their bedroom that night. Sam, around one or so in the morning, tried to wake Dean and ask him, but it was the angel that answered when he knocked. What he didn’t expect was an outright refusal.

 

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Sam asked. “Cas, I need Dean-”

“He would not want to do this!” Cas argues. “He is adjusting-”

 

“Cas,” he lets out a humorless laugh because this is honestly ridiculous. “Dean has the goddamn Mark of Cain on his arm. There is no way in hell we can just drop hunting and live the apple pie life. That’s not safe for you or the kids, ok?”

 

Sam makes a good point, he knows this, but he’s been quite content with the life they’re living now. To break it apart this soon would kill him.

 

“He won’t hurts us,” Castiel stubbornly says, crossing his arms. “I know Dean.”

“You didn’t see him, Cas,” he tells him, wincing at the memory of Dean’s demon side. “You put him out of it before it got too bad, but you didn’t see what he actually turned into. I didn’t even recognize him. Who knows what he’ll do to Esther or Aiden,” Sam keeps prodding at hi weakest spot: his babies.

It eventually breaks him. “If you believe it will provide valuable information, you may ask him in the morning.”

 

Sam sighs in relief. “Thanks, Cas. I promise we’ll have something new when we come back.”

 

“You better, Sam,” Cas tells him and tightens his robe before he walked back into the bedroom.

 

Dean stirs when he feels his fiancé slide back into bed. “Mmm, where’d ya go, babe,” he grumbles sleepily.

 

“Go back to sleep, Dean,” he mutters back, kissing the top of his head. “Everything is alright.”

 

 

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

 

 

Sam waits until Dean had his breakfast before he asks him. A dean with a full belly is happier and more compliant.

 

“So,” he starts, biting off of his piece of burnt toast (courtesy of Castiel). “There’s been a string of missing persons in a small town some hours away from here. Wanna go check it out?”

Dean’s face is stuffed with princess shaped pancakes. “What’s that gotta do with us?”

“Well, each of the ten missing were reported to have had a sudden change in their personalities and jet black eyes,” Sam explains further, ignoring his brother’s bad table manners.

 

“Huh,” he shrugs and turns to Castiel, who was helping their daughter eat the pancakes. “Cas! Can I go on a hunt with Sammy?”

Sam’s jaw dropped to the floor. That certainly wasn’t what he’d expected to come out of his brother’s mouth.

“Dean,” Sam sputters. “What the hell? Why are you asking for permission?”

“Cas is the wife,” Dean says as though Sam had asked him what a toaster was. “Deal with it.”

Castiel blushes from his side of the room.

Esther giggles.

Her daddy turned into a tomato! You don’t see that every day!

 

“I’m flattered that you see me in that light already, Dean,” Cas speaks up after a moment. “But Sam says that this could give some clues into how to get the ‘you know what’ off of your arm.”

Dean stares long and hard at the mark etched into his skin. He wants it gone, but Cain himself said that there was no way of getting it off. Still, if this was an opportunity, he’d be stupid not to take it. He wasn’t giving up hope just yet.

“I don’t see what demons gathering meatsuits has to do with the mark, but what the hell. I’m down.”

Sam nearly cheers when his brother finally agrees.

Castiel is wary of the situation, but he doesn’t say anything. “Just come back safe, ok Dean?”

 

Said Winchester sends a flirty wink his way. “You got it, babe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say thank you for all the kudos and lovely comments~  
> They're like my cookies!


	10. Chapter 10

The impala was packed and ready by two o’clock that afternoon. Castiel, Lauren, and the kids were all there to see the brothers off.

“Make sure you call me as soon as you get there,” Lauren nags. “When you’re ready to sleep, when you wake up, and even when you’re missing me.”

Sam kisses her lips. “What’s this? Rummy’s actually worried?”

The woman scoffs. “You wish, Winchester. I just know that leaving me here by my lonesome is gonna give you hell.”

She snakes her arms him and presses her head against his chest. “Just come back safely, alright?”

Sam pets lovingly at her head. “Damn right I will,” he promises. “And I’ll bring you back some chocolate or something, if you want.”

Her eyes lit up. “What’s keepin’ ya! Get the hell outta here!”

 

Dean kisses Esther in the cheek. “I’ll be back in a few days, ok?”

Esther sobs in her daddy coat. Mommy’s leaving not taking her with him? Life was so unfair for this Nephilim.

 

“Please don’t cry,” now Dean’s starting to regret the decision he made. “Please, please don’t cry!”

“Why?” she looks at Castiel. “Why Mommy leave Essie?”

 

Aiden sighs at her. “It’s ok, Essie. Don’t cry over a big meanie like him.”

Esther turns to her brother with a glare. “Hushmouth, Denny!”

“You hush, crybaby!”

“Essie _not_!”

 

As the two continued their argument, Castiel gives his goodbye speech to Dean.

 

“Be careful out there,” he reminds him for what has to be the fortieth time. “Tell me everything you find out.”

“I will, Cas.”

“Call to tell Esther goodnight.”

“I will, Cas.”

“If you are not back in seven days, I will come after you.”

“Good-bye, Cas.”

 

Cas grips tightly at his fiancé’s collar. “I’m not kidding, Dean!” he growls in the man’s face. “You better fucking come back.”

“Damn, baby,” Dean growls back playfully. “Keep talkin’ dirty to me.”

The angel rolls his eyes and shoves him away.

 

Dean turns to his brother. “Ready, Sammy?”

 

Sam’s forever grateful that Dean has ignored the many red lipstick marks across his face. “Damn right,” he answers, opening the door to the passenger seat. “Let’s go.”

Dean piles in after him once he took one more glance at his _family._ The family that will be awaiting has return like he’s on a business trip for some nine to five. If only his life were that cookie cutter.

“Have dinner waitin’ when I get back, Sweetheart,” he shouts out the window, indulging his inner fantasy.

Sam yanks Dean into his seat. “Just drive, Dean.”

 

 

**_-Spn-_ **

****

 

It takes about nine hours to find the town.

If it wasn’t for Dean stopping every five seconds to “grab something eat”, they would’ve been there in five.

“You know,” Sam says, shooting his brother an all knowing smirk. “Cas took care of them before-”

“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Sammy.”

 

The Winchesters pull into a motel with an extremely rough appearance. Dean was sure he’d seen a family coons crawl out of the busted window of one of the rooms. Sam cringed when car parks.

“Are you kidding me?” he gags.

“Look, there aren’t any motels for hundreds of miles,” Dean explains. “And I’m not riding in this car for another fucking second.”

Dean steps out of the car and Sam, reluctantly, follows him. “If I get herpes from this,” Sam continues to complain. “You’re gonna explain it to Rummy.”

 

“You’ve already had the clap. If you’re down for more-”

“Ugh! Bite me, jerk!”

“Bitch.”

 

The young woman at the front desk rolls her when she sees the brothers walk in. It was such a quiet evening. Why couldn’t it stay that way?

“Let me guess,” she drawls, smacking harshly on her pink bubble gum. “One king?”

 

Sam frowned. “No, ma’am. Two queens.”

 

Dean smirks. “Aw, am I in the doghouse again, Sweetie?”

 

The girl laughs when Sam’s face turned bright red.

 

“Dude, I swear to god!” he threatens, elbowing him in the gut. He was not in the mood for playing gay.

 

“Just take the damn key,” the girl says, passing the room key to the wounded man.

 

“Thank you,” he grits. “Sorry about the sourpuss here.”

 

“Let’s go or I’m locking you out!” Sam snaps.

“But I have the key.”

“But I have the bigger foot.”

Dean grumbles, but follows closely behind his brother.

 

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

 

Instead of sleeping on the concrete this motel had the nerve to call a bed, Sam slept on the couch. To his surprise, Dean didn’t have problem with it. In fact, the second they get through the door, he collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.

 

“Sure,” Sam sasses to nobody. “Let’s get a plan after some rest.

 

When morning rose, Sam woke up first. He took the first shower, leaving a generous amount of hot water for Dean, went out of for a mile run, and bought breakfast in the time it took for Dean to wake up. To be fair, it was most likely the crisp smell of bacon that woke him up.

 

“Morning, Sammy,” Dean yawns as he stood up and stretched. “Did I smell bacon?”

Sam snatches the bag of food before Dean could grab it. “Get dressed first. We’re gonna be busy today.”

 

“You’re gonna _starve_ me?” Dean gasped. “That’s how it’s gonna be?”

 

“Damn straight. Now hurry up,” he orders, holding the food over a rotting trash bin.

 

“Alright! Alright! Let’s not get hasty!”

 

**_-Spn-_ **

“Thank you for your time, ma’am. Let me know if you find out anything else.” This makes the fourth time that those words left Sam’s mouth that day. Each time he tries harder not to sound more frustrated than the last he said. All of the witnesses had the same thing to say. Their son/daughter/mother/brother/sister/friend wouldn’t act like this. They’ve never worn a pair of contacts in their lives. There no was reason, that they could think of, for them to suddenly reek of rotten eggs.

 

It was the same information and the victims were so different that it was impossible to figure out what the connection between them was.

Sam decides to call Dean, hoping he’d have more luck than he did.

What he hadn’t expected to hear, however, was a muffled “What’s up, Sammy?”

 

Sam could’ve sworn his vision went red.

“Dean,” he grits, slowly feeling his shit about to be lost. “Are you _eating_?”

“Yeah,” his brother says without a care in the world. “On my car, this is the best fucking pie I’ve ever tasted in my life.”

 

Consider his shit officially lost.

 

“Have you done _anything_?” Sam all but screams into the phone. “Have you done anything but stuff your damn face?!”

 

He wasn’t surprised to hear Dean laugh on the other line. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Honey. I’m not completely junkless.”

 

Sam sighs. “Good, what did you find?”

 

“Basically, the victims were all apple pie and picket fence until they met a, and I quote, ‘tiny bearded British man in a black overcoat.’”

“Shit,” the younger gasps.

 

He could practically feel dean roll his eyes. “I know right! Of course this asshole-”

 

“Said asshole is right in front of me, Dean,” he frowns when he see the overcoat. “I’ll call you back.”

 

He hangs up without waiting for a response and follows the asshole overcoat.

 

“Hey!” he calls after the man. “Stop!”

 

The man turns around, expression completely smug.

“Hello, Moose.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick question~ What's the cutest thing Castiel has ever said?   
> For me it's "This isn't funny, Dean! The voice says I'm almost out of minutes!"   
> I will NEVER get over that!!  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter~


	11. Chapter 11

“Why Mommy go, Daddy?” Esther asks for what had to be the millionth time.

 

 

Castiel explained to her just as many times, but she just wasn’t getting it. Eventually he grew tired of answering herm, so Lauren covered for him.

“Baby girl,” she coos at Esther’s teary face. “Mommy’s going to save the world with Uncle Sammy.”

 

“No! Mommy here!” the toddler pouts, stomping her tiny feet. Lauren couldn’t find it in herself to be annoyed by it. This girl was just too cute!

 

“Castiel!” she whines to the angel. “Can I please eat her up?”

 

“Sure,” he answers, causing his daughter to gasp and run away screaming for her big brother. “I would not mind a little quiet around here.”

 

“Stop it! Dean hasn’t called, so she’s worried.”

 

Castiel grumbled furiously. He told Dean to call them at specific times and the assbutt hadn’t so much as sent a single text message!

A shot of thrill slithers through him as he imagines Dean getting quite acquainted with the couch when he got back.

 

“Castiel, please relax! They’re probably seriously busy because hasn’t called me-”

 

“I am changing the seven days to four,” he decides.

Lauren rolls her eyes. “Please calm down! If you don’t, you’ll worry the kids.”

“I am calm. I am just surprised that you are not cursing up the walls-”

 

Castiel stops himself and studies the young woman carefully. She was adamant about Sam calling her. If he didn’t call, then surely he wouldn’t be alone in his frustration.

“Son of a bitch,” he growls at her.

Lauren chuckles. “Hey, Dean! I could’ve sworn I was talking to Castiel.”

 

The joke goes over his head.

 

“What?” she shivers at the deadly stare he was giving her.

“He called you, you damn liar.”

“Ok, he did,” she admits, backing up when the angel starts advancing towards. “He said that Dean fell asleep as soon as they got in the motel.”

 

Castiel seethes, but doesn’t stop chasing her.

“Stop it!” she shrieks as she runs away. “Killing me won’t make them come home faster!”

“It will make me feel better,” he simply states. “Now, stop quit running!”

“NO!”

 

**_-Spn-_ **

****

In Dean and Castiel’s bedroom, Aiden gently rocks his sobbing sister in his arms. She’d been asking for “Mommy” all day and it was getting on his last nerve. What pissed him off the most was when he realized that what he predicted came true. That bastard hurt his family without a care in the world. He even had a smug ass smirk on his face when he did it too. Father told him what the asshat would be coming back, just like he said he’d call Esther regularly. The bastard was a liar and Aiden wanted him dead.

“Mommy,” Esther continues to whimper. “Wan’ Mommy.”

Aiden didn’t want to do it, but he felt it was his duty as a big brother to do so.

“Essie,” he whispers. “Mother won’t be coming back.”

The girl’s teary green eyes widened at that. “No! Daddy say Mommy come back!”

“Father also said he would call you last night, but he didn’t.”

Esther shook her head. “No! No! NO!”

 

“I’m so-OUCH! Damn!” Aiden rubs the back of his head.

 

Standing above him, now holding his hysterical sister, was his insanely pissed off father.

“What on earth did you tell her?” he asks.

 

“Denny say Mommy no come back,” Esther answer before Aiden had a chance to open his mouth. “Mommy weave (leave) me.”

 

“Aiden, why would you say that?” Miss Lauren says, kneeling down to sit on the floor next to him. “Dean is just working a job, he’ll come back soon.”

 

“I don’t want him to come back!”

 

“Why not?” Father snaps. “He loves you both, why do you not understand-”

 

“I’m going to nap now,” the boy interrupts, standing up and crawling into the bed behind him. He slides his body under the covers without another word.

 

“Why do you hate him so much, Aiden?” Father practically begs for an answer. “Just tell me and I promise I will talk to Dean about it.”

 

“Castiel,” Miss Lauren nudges him. “Let’s just leave him alone for a bit, ok? He’ll explain himself when he’s ready.”

 

Father passes his sister to Miss Lauren and sits beside him. He presses his lips on his forehead. “I promise, son,” he whispers to him. “You will love him as much as he loves you.”

 

Aiden continues to scowl. “Not a fucking chance.”

 

_Smack!_

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Sleep well, Son.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you thank you thank you for 100+ kudos~!!!


	12. Chapter 12

“Hello, Moose.”

 

“What the hell are you doing here, Crowley?”

 

The tiny man stares up at Sam with a ridiculously smug smirk on his face.

 

“Enjoying the sights,” he says nonchalantly. “Gathering an army. Might head out for a drink later. You can join me if you want.”

 

Sam evokes bitchface number nine, reserved especially for Crowley. “You know what I meant!”

 

“Can’t accept politeness when it’s handed to you? You poor soul,” Crowley says with a roll of his eyes. “Where’s the squirrel? I wanted to personally congratulate him on the newfound fatherhood.”

 

The younger’s eyebrow arched at that. “And how did you find that out?”

 

“Are you kidding?” he gushes, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Everyone knows, Samantha. The angels upstairs won’t stop blabbering about it.”

 

"What are they saying?"

 

"Well, they aren't ready to throw a baby show-"

 

Sam grabs the demon by the collar of his coat, lifting him a few inches off the ground. He is absolutely done playing games.

 

"What the fuck did they say?" he growls into his ear.

 

Crowley was less than please with that approach.

"Hey! Hey! Watch your hooves, Moose!" he snarls back just as angrily. "I just bought this bloody coat!"

 

"Like I give a damn! Now, what did the angels say about the kids?" Sam lets him go, but keeps a stern eye on him.

Crowley fixes himself up, quietly muttering something how he was going to disinfect his clothes later on.

 

"Nephilim are an abomination," he says. "They are created from sin and have no place near heaven's gates or something along those lines."

He can't help the smirk that spreads across his face. "Squirrel and Feathers better watch out. They're out for baby blood."

 

Sam arched his eyebrow. "What does that have to do with you stealing meat suits for your demons?"

 

The grin spreads wider. "Oh, that's quite the story to tell, Moose."

 

 

 

 

_**-Spn-** _

 

 

 

Dean was finishing up his fifth slice of pie, which he got on the house thanks to his lovely charm, when a young blonde woman walks into the diner and slides into his booth. When she flashed her white smile and batted her eyelashes, he knew something was up.

“Can I help you, Honey?” he says with a mouthful of pie.

 

“No,” she answers sweetly. Her fingers swipes through the whipped cream that topped the pastry and sucks it off without a care in the world. “You can help yourself.”

 

Dean didn’t care how attractive this woman was, no one eats his whipped cream. Disgracing a man’s pie is like pissing on his mother’s grave: The ultimate disrespect.

 

He sets down his fork, swallows what’s left of the pie in his mouth, and glares at the woman. “I was gonna eat that.”

 

The woman giggles and flips her hair. “I’m sorry. Am I bothering you, Winchester?”

 

At the sound of his name, he jumps up and out of the booth. “Christo,” he snarls.

 

The woman shivers, bright eyes flashing to black.

 

“Son of a bitch.”

 

Demon blonde risers, still giggling. “Now, now, Dean,” she drawls. “That’s no way to talk about your children.”

 

“How the hell do you know about that?” his fists clenched at his sides. Part of him wanted to address the blatantly rude insult to his children, but he refused to let this bitch get the best of him. He had to keep it together.

The demon scoffs. “C’mon, Dean, this is old news! Everyone in heaven and hell know about you knockin’ up that angel, Castiel.”

 

“I don’t see why that’s anyone’s business.”

His response only spurred on her laughter and that pissed him off more.

 

“Watch your back Winchester,” her eyes narrow in his direction. “Not everyone’s happy about little half-breeds running around. I’d hate for something… tragic to happen to ‘em.”

 

For a split second, Dean’s mind plays back when his children first came into his (both unconscious, one covered in blood, Cas being hysterical). It’s a reminder of what he never wanted to see again. Fury burns through him. The world around him goes red and he could think of nothing but ripping out the demon’s lungs. Before his mind had time to catch up with his body, Dean had her pressed against the wall with a knife to her throat.

 

“Was that a threat?”

 

She doesn’t respond.

 

Dean tosses the knife away and wraps his hand around her neck instead.   


“I _said_ ,” he growls into her ear. “Was that a fucking threat?!”

 

“You’re all dead!” she finally speaks up. “You’re all dead and it won’t even be us that kills you.”

Her eyes dart down to the mark on his arm and that was the last straw. The red vision twisted and smudged to black.

 

He only recognized her screams, which turned to drowning gurgles within minutes. His fingers started out scratching out her throat, then curl into fists striking anything he could reach. Dean’s sure he heard his hand crack, but he couldn’t bring his attention to it.

The demon was put out of her misery when Dean’s punches knocked to the floor and right on top of the knife he’d thrown away. She took it upon herself to tear her stomach open.

 

When Dean was coherent, he gazed upon the mess he created. His own blood was just as present as that demon’s.

 

He fucked up.

No, that was an understatement.

He _seriously_ fucked up.

 

It scared him, not having control over his own body like that. His mind had every intention to call Sam, but his fingers dialed on their own accord.

“Dean,” a gruff voice answered after the second ring. “You promised you would call.”

Dean chuckled. “Well, hello to you too, Sweetheart. How’s it going?”

 

“You would know ‘how it is going’ if you had called last night!” his fiancé continues to sass him and Dean swears he could see him putting up air quotes.

 

“I’m sorry, I was seriously exhausted last night.”

“No excuses!” Cas snaps. “Talk to your daughter. She has been hysterical ever since you left.”

 

He didn’t give much time to respond before Dean heard a tiny voice whimper “Hewoo?”

His heart warmed, melting away the intense rage he’d felt earlier. “Hi Esther, you doing ok?”

 

He laughs when his little one gasps. “Mommy?”

“Yep, it’s me. Daddy says you were upset, baby girl. Is that true?”

 

The line goes silent for a moment. “Essie miss Mommy. Denny say Mommy no come back.”

 

His eyebrow arches in confusion. Why would Aiden assume that?

 

“Hey, I’m out being a superhero, remember? Heroes always win!” he coos to her. “I promise you I’ll come back and tell you everything your superhero mommy did today, ok?”

 

“Ok.”

 

“I’ll see you when I get home. Be good.”

 

“Wove you, Mommy.”

 

Dean chuckles. “I love you, too.”

 

The line went dead before he could ask for Cas.

 

It was for the best, he decided.

 

After all, he needed time to figure out how he was going to clean this mess up.


	13. Chapter 13

Sam ran his fingers through his mane with a frustrated sigh.

Crowley sighs right along with him.

"I know," the demon says, taking a swig from the silver flask in his coat pocket. "Yet again, I’m heaven’s bitch."

"Why do they want them dead?" Sam asked for the hundredth time. "God, they’re just kids."

"Spawn of sin," Crowley repeats. "The last known ‘litter’ of Nephilim slayed over three hundred angels and took out half of the earth. Those winged pricks fear for their pricky lives. Also, they’re not big fans of your brother and your brother-in-law."

  
"And you don't think calling a hit on two children is a little low, even for you?"

Crowley continues to drink, not bothering to acknowledge how correct that statement was.

"You won't find them," Sam rambles. "Cas' grace isn't what it used to be, no one can find them."

"You may be right, Samantha. I hope you are, at least."

Sam tries, yet again, to call his brother, but it went straight to voicemail. "Dean!" he snarks into the phone. "Answer your damn phone!"

"Just so you know," Crowley drawls, winking at Sam. "You didn't hear any of this from me."

Without any other warning, the demon disappears.

When his brother fails, again, to pick up his phone, Sam decideds to call Castiel instead.

  
_"Sam?"_ the angel answers on the second ring, confusion clear in his voice.

"Cas, it's bad. I can't get a hold of Dean."

  
" _What do you mean? I just got off the phone with him. He did not say that anything was wrong_."

Sam sighs in relief. Of course he'd call Cas, but why wasn't he answering now?

"Listen to me," he says slowly. "Put all the angel sigils and devils' traps you can. Seriously, salt and all-"

Castiel stops his ramble with a loud shout of _"SAM!"_ and the younger managed to silence himself. _"What is going on?"_

"Crowley's the one behind the disappearances. He's gathering an army of meatsuits for his demons. He and the angels are planning to go after Esther and Aiden."

_"What? Sam-?"_

  
"They want them _dead_ , Cas."

Castiel's confused sputters came to a stop after that.

He could've sworn he heard him hiss out curses.

 _"Get Dean and come back **now** ,"_ he growls and hangs up the phone.

Sam definitely didn't need to be told twice.

 

 

_**-Spn-** _

 

 

 

Dean had gone back to the motel after "cleaning" up his mess. His body curled into a fetal position, making him feel smaller inside the closet he'd trapped himself in. The cellphone on the table had been ringing and vibrating nonstop for the past twenty minutes, but he couldn't bring himself to answer it. They knew, his mind kept telling him, they knew everything he'd just done and they were mad at him. He could already see the horrified expression on Sam's face and the one of disappointment from his fiance. Cas, the one who'd always stick up for him wehn it came to the acursed mark. How would he react if he found out about this slip up? He'd beg him for hours, emphasizing that it was the first time in months and how it would never happen again. Castiel loved him too much not to forgive, after all they've been through Dean knew that was true, but he was afraid of the _look_. That one look from those bright baby blue eyes could tear him to pieces. The look said "I'm very disappointed in you, Dean, but I can't help but deal with you." and he took it from both Sam and his father, but Cas would kill him.

The phone stops ringing after awhile.

Dean made no move to come out of the closet.

Even when the sun rays from outside became beams from the streetlights, he still laid there.

Even when he heard the front door slam open and his little brother emerged through it, he didn't move.

He watches Sam yell into his cellphone and frantically search the room. The words that were pouring from out of his mouth were lost on Dean's ears. Only his thoughts rang in his head and they only said one thing: _What the fuck did I do?_

  
Tears flooded his eyes, but he wouldn't dare let them fall. He no right to cry over this. If he lost Cas and his beautiful babies over this, then that was his own damn fault. What happened back there could've been avoided somehow. He didn't know how at the moment, but there was a way. Knowing that gnawed away at his insides and made him go numb.

He didn't feel his foot knock against the wall when his body curled in further.

He didn't notice how Sam flinched at the sound and made a move towards his hiding place.

  
However, he had felt when his body was yanked from the ground and pulled into a tight hold.

Sam was yelling at him. He shook him with the emphasis from each word he said, but Dean didn't understand him. All he knew was that whatever Sam was going on about, he deserved every harsh word being thrown at him. Dean had caught one part of what his brother was saying, but only because he felt that it described this whole situation perfectly.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!"

Hearing it out loud hit him a bit harder than he expected.

His guard slipped for only second, but it was long enough to allow a single tear to slip from his left eyes.

Sam stopped yelling.

His eyes widened at the sight and more than anything Dean wanted to disappear.

  
Sam guides his big borther to the bed and gently sits him on top of the comforters.

"Dean, what's wrong?" he asks, voice much calmer than it was a few moments ago.

Dean tightens his jaw.

  
"Please, Dean," Sam pleads. "Talk to me! What happened?"

He wouldn't. There was no way he could bring himself to say it.

  
"Do you know what the demons are up to? They're-"

"I know," he croaks. "They... want to kill Aiden and Esther."

Sam places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "That won't happen, Dean. You, me, Lauren, and Cas are gonna protect them."

You're all dead, and it won't even be us that kills you.

Dean tries to hide the flinch that caem with the memory of those words, but his baby brother saw write through him.

"What is going on?" he asked one last time.

  
Words spilled from Dean's lips before he could stop them.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered out. "I'm sorry, Sammy."

Sam definitely didn't expected to hear that.  
Frankly, he was afraid of what it meant.

"What are you sorry for?"

"I got mad... Too mad...the demon..."

Apparently, he didn't have to say anything else. His brother connected the dots almost immediately. He went silent for a moment. Dean already missed the yelling.

"Damn it, Dean," he heard him hiss, but there was no anger. In fact, Dean was sure he'd heard Sam's voice crack and tremble.

"Don't tell Cas," he pleads. "Sam, don't tell him."

"I think," Dean sees tears flood his brother's eyes. "Deep down, Cas knows you can't control this."

"Don't tell-"

"How bad was it?" Sam interrupts.

Dean hesitates. "I... blacked out. But there was so blood afterwards and for a split second I didn't give a damn. I destoryed that demon."

  
"You took care of it?"

"Yes," the answer came before the question finished.

As much as it hurt, Sam decides to keep this a secret.  
Dean wasn't homefree that easily, however.

"I won't tell Cas, but you've got to promise to let me know when this happens again."

"Trust me, Sam-"

"And when it does happen again, because I know it will," Sam says, leaving no room for argument. "I want you to get the hell outta dodge."

  
"Dude-?"

"I don't want anything to happen to those kids, Dean. And I don't want to have to put you down, either."

Those words should've hurt, but they hadn't. He remembers how Sam couldn't hurt his demon side, no matter how bad it got. He came running after him with a _hammer_ and Sam still couldn't do it. Now, it was the lives of his children on the line. Sam knew it was what Dean would've wanted.

"Alright," he doesn't argue. "I promise."

  
Sam smiles and pats his shoulder. "Good, now let's head back to the bunker."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this chapter!  
> If you're interested, I started writing a new story called "Travelin' Man".  
> It's a Castiel/Dean/Benny thing!


	14. Chapter 14

When Castiel ends his phone call with Sam, he breaks into a full sprint for his and Dean’s bedroom. Aiden was on the bed reading another one of Sam’s books. He refused to speak to Dean when he was on the phone with Esther, not that it surprised him.

 

“Lauren!” he shouts. “Get Esther in my room _now_!”

Hearing the panic in his voice, Lauren scoops the little girl into arms (ignoring the way she whined when the toy she was playing with slips form her fingers) and rushes her to the bedroom. She slops her on the bed next to her brother.

 

“Castiel?” she calls when she notices he’s not in the room with them. “Castiel, what’s the matter?”

 

“Come to the library!” he orders back. “And close the door behind you.”

 

She does as she is told without question.

Her heart sinks when she sees the angel scrambling through books and drawing traps and sigils.

“Did something happen to Sam and Dean?”

“No, not that I know of,” he responds, waving his hands around. “Get rock salt and holy oil. Help load these bullets when you’re done.”

 

“Woah! Woah!” her hands raise up. “Tell me what the hell is going first!”

 

Castiel stops scrambling long enough to briefly explain to her what Sam had told him over phone minutes ago. After hearing that, Lauren got moving and moved quickly. The two set sigils on every wall in the bunker and devils’ traps on almost every tile on the floor. With countless bags of salt and vials of holy water at their disposal, Castiel finally stopped to rest. Everyone should be protected now. Lauren slouched in a chair with a loud huff.

 

“I know we all need protecting,” she says to him. “But is all of that really necessary?”

 

Cas frowns at her. “The grace I have left will not be enough to protect us. I believe this course of action is appropriate.”

 

“But we trapped every square inch of this place!” Lauren continues to whine. “Even you have to admit that this is pretty excessive.”

 

“Why do you complain after everything is done?”

“Because I can, damn it!”

 

****_-Spn-  
  
_

Something was wrong.

 

Aiden could feel it in the pit of his tummy. Father and Miss Lauren had running back and forth passed the bedroom for about ten minutes. He could feel the distress coming from the both of them and it made him feel uneasy. Esther didn’t seem to notice and was happily babbling to herself without a care in the world. Part of him was glad for that. This sensation was just on the edge of nausea and the little toddler did not deserve to feel this way.

 

“Denny?” Aiden snaps to attention when his sister calls to him. Her nose is scrunched up distastefully. “Yucky smell.”

 

He sniffs the air around her and fails detect anything…

But what he does notice is little voice whispering around his head. They were speaking to him, but they didn’t know his name.

 

 ** _“I can feel you, little boy,”_** One said.

**_“Help me find you, little boy.”_ **

**_“Your grace burns as bright as mine,”_** Said another.

**_“Where are you, little boy?”_ **

 

Too many voices swam around him and he didn’t know where they were coming from. Not that he’d admit it out loud. But it scared him.

 

Seeing the distress on her brother’s face, Esther shakes his shoulder. “Denny ok?”

 

He doesn’t respond.

 

The voices were getting louder and there was nothing he could do to stop them. They all asked the same question and it was frightening him so much he almost wanted to blurt out the answer.

                      

**_“Where are you, little boy?”_ **

 

With the fear and uneasiness he’d felt ear felt earlier twisting and combining inside, Aiden felt that there was one logical way to respond to it all.

 

He cried.

 

Esther saw the tears flood from his eyes and got scared.

Aiden was a big boy! He never cried like she did!

“Daddy!” she shouts out. “Daddy! Help!”

 

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

 

Cas just about to call Dean when he heard his daughter’s cries. Both he and Lauren were on their feet almost instantly. When they were at bedroom door, they carefully step over the neatly spread salt line they’d put there earlier, and rush over to the screaming toddler. Lauren scoops her up into her arms whilst Cas grabbed his son.

 

“Esther,” she cooed. “Honey, what’s the matter?”

 

Esther trembles in her arms, pointing a shaky finger towards her brother. “Denny scawed.”

 

The boy’s eyes were glazed over with his tears and staring passed them all. There was nothing in front expect for his father, but he didn’t even notice that he was there. His tiny mouth moved rapidly with the whispers that were falling from it. Cas couldn’t hear what was being said, but he could tell it was Enochian.

 

“Oh no,” he gasps.

Lauren covers Esther’s ears. “What’s happening?”

“Angels,” he says. “He’s talking to angels.”

 

“What?! How?!”

 

“They’ve tapped into his grace. I do not know how they did it?”

 

Lauren closes her own eyes, desperately thinking of a way to save the young boy. “Can’t you just… I don’t know use your own grace to block them out?!”

 

Cas tries to whisper to his son, but nothing changes. “I’m too weak, my power is not what it used to be.”

 

“How can we snap him out of it?”

 

“He has to hear me.”

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

****

**_“He will hurt your family, little boy.”_ **

**_“Daddy and the baby, too.”_ **

**_“We can save you, little boy. We can take him away.”_ **

**_“Tell us where you are.”_ **

 

Aiden tried to tell them, he’d given up once the voices started making his head hurt. Couldn’t they see he was trying? They didn’t have to offer to take “Mother” away. That only made him want to try harder. He’d do anything keep his family safe.

 

**_“Aiden!”_ **

What was _that_?

That little whisper knew his name, but not the other voices.

It scared him even more.

 

“I don’t know where I am!” he cries to the louder voices. “I don’t know!”

 

**_“Try your best. We know you’re a smart boy.”_ **

 

****

**_“Aiden! Please come back!”_ **

 

That whisper sounded like… was it scared?

And why did it tell him to come back?

Where did he go?

 

 

**_“Bunker of the Men of Letters? Is that it, Castiel?”_ **

 

Aiden’s eyes darted around the empty space surrounding him.

Was Father really somewhere around here?

****

**_“Everything is alright, son. You do not need to be afraid of them. They can’t hurt you.”_ **

****

That was him! That was his father’s voice!

Still, no matter where he looked, just couldn’t see him!

 

“Father!” he cried. “I can’t see you!”

 

**_“I am right behind you.”_ **

 

Just as he said that, Aiden feels an undeniably familiar warmth embrace his body. He melts into it easily and closes his eyes.

**_“Keep your eyes closed. Take deep breaths.”_ **

****

He does as Castiel has asked of him and his headache seemed to fade away.

 

**_“You will be ok. You are safe, Aiden.”_ **

****

“I am ok,” he repeats. “I am safe.”

 

The mantra goes on. His world slowly collapses around him.

 

**_-Spn-_ **

 

Castiel gasps when he feels his son jerk back to reality in his arms. He stares down at the terrified look in his eyes and pulls him into his chest. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore,” he tells him. “I am right here, son.”

 

He hears Lauren sigh in relief. “Thank goodness you’re ok, Aiden.”

 

“But now we have a new problem,” Castiel says after a beat.

 

Lauren rolls her eyes. “What now?”

 

“The angels know where we are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long~ Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


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